Dorothy H Miller

Dorothy Miller, 88, daughter of Harold and Eileen (Kissam) Hopkins, passed away peacefully with family members by her side on March 26, 2023. She is survived by her six children & their spouses Mark Miller (Joan), Matthew Miller (Nancy), Donna Jones (Bob), Deborah Miller, Michael Miller (Jeff Davis), and Lisa Miller, nine grandchildren (Thomas, Gregory, Catherine, Nicole, Drew, Kyle, Ryan, Owen, and Colin), and two great grandchildren (Rowan and Byron). Dorothy was born in Knickerbocker Hospital in NY in 1934 and attended high school at Saint Michael’s Academy. After graduating from Saint Michael’s in 1951, Dorothy attended Fordham University. There she met Donald Miller while they were student teachers at Bayside High School. They graduated from Fordham in 1955 and were married later that year.

In 1959 Dorothy and Don moved with their growing family to Hempstead and then to Suffern, NY in 1965 where their six children attended grammar and high school. Dorothy nurtured the family, ensuring that homework and chores were done on time, cuts and scrapes were tended to, and everyone was home on time for dinner. She was also active in the Head Start program and taught swimming lessons. She was a lector and Eucharistic minister at Sacred Heart Church. After substitute teaching for several years, Dorothy returned to teaching full-time in 1981 She taught English at Suffern High School for 16 years, obtaining her master’s degree during this time. She enjoyed chaperoning the senior English trip to England and was an advisor for the school newspaper.

After retiring in 1997, Dorothy and Don travelled extensively to Europe and the Caribbean. In 1999 they moved to Governors Club in Chapel Hill, NC and, when not travelling abroad, visited and vacationed with their children and grandchildren. Dorothy actively participated in a number of activities (book club, Bible study, tennis, dance, bridge, water aerobics, and recorder) and served as a lector and Eucharistic Minister at St. Thomas More in Chapel Hill. Dorothy was a member of the interfaith council and also volunteered at a local homeless shelter where she taught the residents writing skills. She devotedly cared for Don through his battle with Parkinson’s even while struggling with COPD herself. Despite these demands, she retained her dignity and compassion for others, and was always quick with a smile and a “God bless you.” Dorothy enjoyed “prayers and calls” with her children, visits from family and friends, listening to WCPE classical music radio, and was an avid reader of both books and newspapers. In January of 2020, Dorothy moved to Carolina Meadows where she enjoyed meeting and talking with the staff, her afternoon “walks”, visits from family and friends, and watching the birds devour seed from the bird feeder.

In addition to all the help and support she received from family and friends, the family wishes to thank the staff and caregivers from Carolina Meadows and the staff at UNC Hospital and Hospice for their kindness and support. A funeral mass will be held at Saint Thomas More RC Church, 940 Carmichael Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 on Friday May 5, 2023, at 2:30 p.m. The mass will be streamed live at: https://www.youtube.com/live/2fSDLUPO4fc?feature=share

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to any one of the following: St. Thomas More RC Church, 940 Carmichael Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 (https://stmchapelhill.org/treasure), radio station WCPE North Carolina (https://theclassicalstation.org/pledge/index.shtml ), or a charity of your choice.